By Elysse James
Dr. Kayla Ramsey has always been interested in science.
Even as an elementary schooler she was drawn to the subject.
The UCI graduate and board-certified family medicine physician has recently joined the Hoag Medical Group San Clemente location and will be the latest speaker in Capistrano Unified’s series of health-themed webinars benefitting the CUSD community.
On Dec. 15 via Zoom, she’ll be speaking about preventative health care — specifically studies that show the impact that changes such as sleeping well, exercising, and following certain diets can have on the body. Ramsey will be providing tips to help people start slow and ease into healthy lifestyle changes.
“I figured during this year it’s been hard for a lot of people to eat healthy and get out and exercise,” she said. “People have been stressed, not sleeping well, so I’m focusing on the importance of all those aspects and how to make small changes in your life to have better wellness.”
The Orange County native will also be welcoming questions following the presentation.
Ramsey’s philosophy when it comes to medicine is all about open communication.
“Sometimes it’s the small details or what the patient doesn’t think is important (that) I identify as important,” she said. “I want them to be able to tell me anything so we can come to a correct diagnosis.”
That’s part of what she loves about family medicine; it allows her to combine her love of science and love of people.
“I get to hear people’s stories and be able to help,” she said. “I want to help coordinate the care. (In family medicine) you actually see the whole family. It’s nice to be part of the whole family’s care.”
She looks forward to getting to know the CUSD and San Clemente communities and has been impressed with Capistrano Unified’s success with re-opening school campuses, as well as the district’s public COVID-19 case dashboard.
“I know in the beginning it was stressful and parents weren’t sure if they wanted to have their kids go back,” she said. “Districts overall have been really conservative with their guidelines and kids have been very responsible. For being so young they understand the importance of all the face masks, hand washing, and distancing. I’m really impressed and I think we should give the kids a little more credit.”
Outside of her job, Ramsey is a Disney fan. She and her husband, Josh Larson, live in Garden Grove and before the pandemic would frequently visit the theme park. She also enjoys snowboarding and wakeboarding, and going to the movies.
Click here to register for the Dec. 15 webinar.